How to Declutter and Organize Your Living Room Bookshelves

In this easy guide, you’ll learn how to declutter and organize your living room bookshelves. Find out how to free up more space in your bookshelves so you can use your bookshelves for displays and home organization!

If you have any bookshelves in your living room and you found this article, then I bet they are crammed to the brim. Maybe it’s filled with stacks of books, forgotten knick-knacks, old papers, or even DVDs and pictures. No matter what’s filling your shelves, if they are too full, they’re distracting from your living room’s overall appeal.

Since you spend so much time here, it’s important to have an organized living room. After you sort and store your living room blankets, tackle your bookshelves.

Bookshelves are both functional (storing things) and aesthetic (displaying things). But clutter ruins all of that! They become a catch-all for the things that don’t have a home, and all this stuff attracts more random stuff. It’s a never-ending problem unless you get on top of it. That’s where this guide comes in.

When you finally sort and organize your bookshelves, you’ll create a more peaceful living space, easier access to what you need, and a chance to showcase your personality. Keep reading and I’ll share a step-by-step guide to decluttering, organizing, and styling bookshelves for both beauty and utility.

The Great Unload: Starting with a Blank Slate

The very first step is to take everything off the shelves and wipe them down. Why do you need to start fresh? Completely emptying the shelves is crucial for a thorough declutter and to visualize the space. In other words, this will let you take an honest look at what you own, decide whether you need it, and help you see what kind of products you need in order to store everything correctly.

To do this, prepare your workspace. Clear a large area (floor, table) to sort items. Then, gather your supplies. You’ll need a donation box, a “relocate box,” a trash bag, and some cleaning supplies.

The Unloading Process

Now you’re ready to cut your clutter down. Remove everything from the shelves, even items you think you’ll keep. Then, dust and wipe down the empty shelves. Remember, a clean canvas is inspiring.

The Initial Sort – Three Piles (or more)

After your shelves are completely clean, start sorting your stuff into these three piles or boxes.

Keep: Items you genuinely love, use, or want to display.
Relocate: Items that belong elsewhere in the house (kitchen, bedroom, office).
Let Go (Donate/Sell/Recycle/Trash): Items that no longer serve a purpose, are duplicates, or don’t fit your aesthetic.

The Ruthless Edit: Deciding What Stays

How do you decide what to keep and what to give away? This is really hard, especially when you love everything (or think you do). Here are my tips for the three most common types of things you’ll find in your bookshelves.

Books: Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to books, start cutting down on what you own by following the “Read It/Love It/Need It” rule. Keep book you have read and loved, intend to read soon, or need for reference.

Then, get rid of duplicates and unread books. Be honest about books collecting dust. Consider donating as many as you can. And if you find any books with sentimental value, place them on a specific place on the shelf. But don’t let sentimentality become an excuse for clutter.

You should also look at the condition of your books. Discard or replace damaged books.

Decorative Objects and Knick-Knacks: Less is More

If you have decorative objects that are causing a lot of clutter, then follow these tips. Try to curate your collection first. Keep only items that bring you joy, tell a story, or have significant aesthetic appeal.

Avoid keeping random souvenirs. Unless they are truly special and visually appealing, these often add clutter. And keep functionality in mind. If an item serves no purpose and isn’t beautiful, it doesn’t belong on display.

Other Items that Creep In

What else is left to sort? Probably things like piles of papers (old mail or grocery lists). You might also find remote controls, chargers, and random gadgets. These need dedicated homes elsewhere. Consider storage solutions off the bookshelf for these items.

Functional Organization: Making Your Shelves Work for You

After you whittle everything down and all you have left is what you’re really going to keep, you’re ready to put things back in the shelves. Here are some tips that will help you display it in a way that’s both beautiful and functional.

Grouping Like Items

Start by sorting your books and decorative objects in a way that makes sense to you. Here are the most common ways to organize them.

Books by Genre/Author: For easy retrieval.
Books by Size: Can be aesthetically pleasing and more stable.
Decorative Objects by Theme/Color: Creates visual cohesion.

Vertical vs. Horizontal Stacking

I love this tip! Think outside the normal way of showing off your books. Vary the orientation. It will add visual interest. Plus, horizontal stacks can create “bookends” or platforms for decor.

Incorporating Storage Solutions

And if you need to use your shelves to store more things (like remotes and charges) try to make your storage look good. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to do that.

Decorative Baskets/Bins: Perfect for concealing clutter (remotes, small electronics, children’s toys, small office supplies). Choose ones that match your decor.
Magazine Files: Great for organizing papers, notebooks, or even small craft supplies.
Bookends: Essential for keeping vertical stacks tidy and can be decorative elements themselves.

Stylish Display: Elevating Your Bookshelves to Art

You don’t have to be an interior designer to make your bookshelves look stunning. All you need are a few rules (and I’ve got them for you below!).

The “Rule of Three” (and Odd Numbers)

Try to make your groups with three or any other odd numbers. This is more visually appealing, believe it or not. So, if you have knick-knacks, diplay 3 or 5 of them together.

Layering and Depth

Next, focus on how you’re layering things on your shelves. Place taller items at the back, shorter items in front. It might help to buy some clear shelf risers to give this kind of depth to your shelves.

If you have artwork or framed photos, lean them against the back of the shelf.

Incorporating Variety

Another little design hack is to play around with different textures and materials. Here are some easy ways to add them to your shelves.

Textures: Mix wood, metal, ceramics, plants, fabric.
Heights: Vary the height of books and objects to create visual flow.
Materials: Combine different materials for interest.
Living Elements: Add small plants (real or faux) for freshness.

Color Coordination (Optional but Effective)

Some people enjoy organizing their books in creative ways that aren’t alphabetical (or by genre). If this doesn’t work with your brain, you can skip it. But here’s how to try this new trend.

By Color: Arranging books by color for a bold, artistic statement.
Neutral Palette: Using a limited color scheme for a calm, sophisticated look.
Pop of Color: Adding a few vibrant pieces to an otherwise neutral shelf.

Negative Space is Your Friend

Don’t be scared of empty space. It can be a very good thing! Not every inch needs to be filled. Empty space allows the eye to rest and highlights the items you do display.

How To Make Your Living Room Bookshelves Work For You

You can transform your bookshelves from clutter to a beautiful, functional display. Stylish organization is easy to achieve when you follow this simple guide. All you have to do is be extra choosy about what you display and then pay attention to how it looks on your shelves. Make it work for you and enjoy showing off your collections.

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